Juvenile court has elicited the interest and criticism of lawyers, social workers, and criminologists, but less attention from sociologists. This book adds to growing sociological literature on the operations of legal institutions. It describes some critical aspects of the functioning of the juvenile court, an institution charged with judging and treating delinquents. To this end, it analyzes the nature of the court operation, the handling of delinquents, and the court's functions in relation to the wider social and legal system.

Roger Dane became wealthy building the Western Oil Co. Now, his well meaning son is attempting to put him in "Assisted Living." Roger flees to Eastern Oregon where he lived the first fifteen years of his life, until his parents lost their ranch during the depression. He finds himself a stranger in his old home town. His driver turns out to be a young girl just graduated from high school. Through Julie, he makes new friends, helps those whom he meets and aquires a better understanding of his own two grandchildren who are drifting, spoiled by too much family money.